Purpose

Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. While the molecular pathogenesis of liver cancer has been extensively studied, less is known about how the molecular biology of liver cancer influences clinical outcome and treatment response. We are developing a translational research program that will characterize molecular changes in liver cancer. We plan to use molecular information obtained from studying liver tumor tissues to develop new diagnostics and treatment regimens for patients with these cancers. The experimental approach will require freezing fresh tumor tissues obtained from surgical procedures, which will be subsequently used for analysis of DNA, protein and mRNA expression. Many patients with liver cancer are referred to the Stanford Liver Tumor Board for consultation and treatment recommendations. We propose to gather tissue samples from those who subsequently undergo biopsy, liver resection surgery, or transplant surgery.